Evaluación de la viabilidad de semillas de maíz (zea mays l.) mediante pruebas de tetrazolio y espectroscopía de infrarrojo (ft-nir).

Abstract

Within the world production of grains and cereals (rice, wheat, barley, etc.) corn (Zea mays L.) represents 40%, countries such as the United States (37%) and China (23%) are the highest grain production with yields of 10 and 6 t / ha respectively. Ecuador is among the top 50 world producers of this, being a crop of high significance is produced in 21 of the 24 provinces which its production is concentrated in the provinces of Los Rios, Guayas, Manabi and Loja, the importance of this research lies in the little research that generates information on how to conserve our seeds without losing their viability and genetic vigor, as well as breeding programs that generate genetic variability of superior agronomic characteristics. The present research was carried out in the "Santa Inés" Experimental Farm belonging to the Academic Unit of Agricultural Sciences of the Technical University of Machala (UTMACH), located in the Parroquia El Cambio, Cantón Machala. The objective was to evaluate the percentage of viability and germination of corn seeds through tetrazolium tests and infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR). The experimental work was carried out completely at random, using nine accessions with two study factors (viability evaluation methods (Tetrazolium and NIR) and variety) with 3 repetitions. Feasibility tests were carried out in the laboratory using an NIR SCIO device to scan the seeds before germinating them, generating an absorbance curve for each seed, then the same seeds are placed to germination and using the Tetrazolium method the staining of the embryo of each seed is observed, the readings are made after 24 hours, the data obtained in the laboratory were submitted to a statistical test Factorial Variance Analysis and Tukey at 0.05 through the program Statistical Pasckage of the Social Sciences (SPSS), the data obtained in the laboratory were submitted to a statistical test Factorial Variance Analysis and Tukey at 0.05 through the program Statistical Pasckage of the Social Sciences (SPSS). Between the two methods, the lowest cost, without destroying the seed and of easy manipulation by means of an intelligent telephone is the NIR, achieving 100% positive results as far as viability and vigor of seeds; the Tetrazolio method is a reliable test that in the same way has effective results but the cost is superior and above all destroys the seed to carry out the evaluation. From the results obtained it was determined that there is no significant difference between varieties of corn according to their storage time which this medium did not influence. The varieties V1A, V2A, V3A that contain a humidity level of 5.5% presented less viability as for the varieties V1B, V2B, V3B, V1C, V2C, V3C that obtained lower humidity (5%), but higher percentage of viability. The tetrazolium method presented an average of 67.11 and the NIR method an average of 68.15 so there are no significant differences between the two methods. The results obtained indicate that the NIR technology can be very efficient and low cost to test the viability of corn seeds regardless of the variety to which they belong, and that what is really important are the techniques of conservation and storage under appropriate conditions of temperature and relative humidity (RH).